Germinal
1993 · Movie · 160 min · ★ 6.7 · 70% critics
In a coal-mining town in 19th-century northern France, workers endure dangerous conditions and crushing poverty while the owners live in comfort. As wages are squeezed and tensions rise, the community tries to organize and strike for fair treatment, only to face hunger, division, and harsh repression from those in power.
Based on Germinal
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Details
- Years
- 1993
- Release date
- 1993-09-29
- Language
- French
- Runtime
- 160 min
- Max quality
- SD
- Critic score
- 70/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.7/10 (343 votes)
About
If you want a grim, politically charged period drama about labor, poverty, and collective action, this delivers; Not for you if you dislike bleak violence, long runtimes, or stories that can feel more like a social study than entertainment.
Pros: gripping social struggle; strong performances; bleak, immersive atmosphere | Cons: simplified adaptation; uneven pacing transitions; heavy-handed politics
Themes
- industrial revolution
- social movement
- earnest
Awards & recognition
- César Award — Best Costume Design · 1994
- César Award — Best Cinematography · 1994
- César Award — Best Actress · 1994 · nominated
- International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1994 · nominated
Cast & crew
Miou-Miou
as 'La Maheude'
Renaud
as Étienne Lantier
Jean Carmet
as Vincent Maheu, aka Bonnemort
Judith Henry
as Catherine Maheu
Jean-Roger Milo
as Antoine Chaval
Gérard Depardieu
as Toussaint Maheu
Laurent Terzieff
as Souvarine
Bernard Fresson
as Victor Deneulin
Jean-Pierre Bisson
as Rasseneur
Jacques Dacqmine
as Philippe Hennebeau
Directed by Claude Berri